The Beast Within: Ch1 Return to the Manor
by FoolishNostalgia
Summary: Chloe seeks an answer. What will she find there, and who is the mysterious man she meets?
1. Awakening

Author's note: To get all formalities out of the way I in no way own Chloe, Kirirka, Mireille, or anything related to Noir. However I do own everything else about this story.

Now that we have that out of the way let's start my favorite part about fanfics. My shpeel! This will mark the second fic I have posted, though by no means is it my second story written. Normally I write a lot and lot and then get bored and move on. But not this one so you are in for a treat. I apologize in advance for ANY resemblances to other fics; I read a few to gather some ideas. And again, I apologize for any OOC-ness that's just my way. So without further wasting of time here is:

The Beast Within – Prologue: Awakening -------------------------

She was alive.

She was not alone.

It was very dark.

Where ever she was Chloe did not feel comfortable. The cold temperature of the room tingled her skin and gave her goose bumps. One of the first things she realized, after the fact that is was very cold, was that she was naked. Thin cotton fabric draped over her body up to her shoulders. She was lying on her back. She did not open her eyes.

Even beneath her eyelids she knew that there was no light in the room, only the person she could her breathing in the dead silence. Her continuous heartbeat was a noise in the background while she waited for something to happen.

Chloe refused to alert the person as to her conscious state, it would be unwise for her to move considering the fact that she was naked and whoever was here was not Altena. Had it been however, she would have been seated next to the assassin and not across the room. Silence remained until distant footfalls echoed into her room.

They stopped and a door clicked open almost silently. A few moments later the door quietly clicked shut as if whoever was there was trying desperately not to wake her. The thick scent of a Cuban cigar invaded her nostrils and she had to remind herself not to cough.

"I came as fast as I could," a man with a deep voice said, "how is she?"

"Stable," answered a man in a youthful tone, "she is doing well all things considered."

"Altena's greatest asset," sighed the first man, "almost died, what a shame."

"It's a miracle too, she had been gone for so lone it was amazing they brought her back."

There was a moment of silence as the three of them absorbed that information, each in their own way. Without warning an image of a teary-eyed Kirika flashed before Chloe's eye only to disappear just as quickly. It was getting harder to remain composed, still she continued to listen.

"What happened out there anyways?" asked the first man.

"From what we gathered it would seem that the two selected for Noir were awaiting Altena when the third sapling arrived. The one named Yumura Kirika and the Corsican child fought it out but when the final blow was about to be shot Kirika dropped her weapon.

'Chloe attacked the third child to defend Kirika and in a bizarre twist was found to have been stopped by Kirika herself." He paused while in Chloe's mind scenes of the battle played in her head.

"Turns out that no one wanted to kill the other but in a fit of rage Chloe attacked the Corsican again. Unfortunately she was fell by Kirika, stabbed in the chest with a tea fork. No one believes that the fork killed her but rather the immense shock she received when she was betrayed."

"And that is that then?"

"This is everything we got, and you know the rest. Altena died at the hands of Noir and we've been watching them ever since."

"Poor girl," the deep voiced man empathized, "but Soldats have no time for emotion. Thank you for waiting for me."

"Anytime," replied the younger of the pair.

"Let's head back to Paris and set Noir back into motion."

The door clicked open, and the shut following two pairs of footsteps. They echoed down the hall into silence leaving Chloe to her thoughts.

Altena was dead! Her teacher, the only person she could ever call mother had died. Slain at the hands of the ones to be Noir. Over and over this thought ran through her mind. Now she was alone, no one left to guide her, no one to tell her adventures to. Altena was dead.

Chloe didn't know when the tears started flowing or when she realized she was curled up into a fetal position but she did know what she had lost. The first person she had ever loved, felled at the hands of Noir.

Noir, the name rang in her ears. Wasn't she the true Noir? To be one with the other child? Did the Corsican and the second one become Noir or did they slay Altena in cold blood? Questions smothered her, wrenching at her heart and poisoning her mind.

"No!" she cried out hoarsely, "I won't believe it! Altena would never die!"

What would she do now? Chloe had to prove Altena's death and what then? She would be left alone, betrayed, heartbroken.

Completely alone.

The thought of her utter isolation made her cry even harder. Behind her tears flowed pictures from a time when Altena was alive and Chloe was still young.

"Dear child," she spoke warmly, "never use your emotions in a fight. They will make you confused and sloppy. Always keep a level head and you will succeed. Never anger or hate, never fear or cower, you will only give your opponent the advantage."

Altena was right, she was always right. When she lost the love of the second child she reacted. If she had just kept a level head she could have slain the Corsican and stayed with her other half forever.

And now here she was slowly gaining control of her sobbing. She needed a plan, but usually Altena was the one who guided her. Maybe if she went back to the Manor she could find some answers there.

With her mind set she sat upright, legs dangling over one edge of the hospital bed. The room was dark and only the glow from the moon gave any light to the place. She could see well enough to realize her clothes were hung up on a coat rack and her knives glistened in the silvery light.

Footfalls down the hall softly echoed into her room, rapidly approaching. There was no time to lose and she really did not feel like speaking to anyone. With superior speed and grace she had all of her clothes on and ready. Something didn't feel right but there was no time to lose. The footsteps were loud now and more were following.

The door opened with a click and bang as it hit the wall but just as light spilled into the room Chloe was gone.

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Thanks for taking the time to read the intro chapter to probably the longest project I will ever do. If you like, please review I love all responses except flames. Shivers So please keep flaming to a minimum. I'll do my best to update as often as time will allow. Stay tuned chapter one is on its way. F.N. 


	2. Return to the Manor

Chapter one is up! Please enjoy and note that I own nothing about Noir, but I do own the rights to this story.

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She had been traveling for days on foot. Her face was pale and her deep green eyes were heavy with sleep. The cloak she wore hid the fact that her body was deathly thin. Shoulders hung low she took one final step to the summit and gazed into the place forgotten by time.

The trip had been long and tiring but the sight of her home brought a smile to Chloe's face. She had walked an immense length, all the way from Italy, were she had been hospitalized.

Something had bothered her the whole way but she passed it off as irrelevant. With no money Chloe had no choice but to walk and this suited her just fine. With time to sort out her thoughts she would be more ready to face the facts.

It was the moment of truth. She had prepared herself for the worst and knew what her only choice was if everything turned out that way. Chloe prayed for Altena's safety but as she sat alone on her summit a foreboding wind picked up and blew forcefully against her.

Shivering in anxiety rather than cold she hesitated. Something was not right. That feeling again, but as she got to her feet it hit her. There wasn't as much weight on the small of her back as there should have been.

At the hospital she didn't check to see if all her knives were there and while she trekked her thoughts were on other things. It wouldn't be obvious to anyone and she was dismayed to have realized it so late, there were no excuses.

Deftly she fingered the edges of each blade, one, two, one missing, and yet the forth was in its place. Curiosity invited her to probe deeper and upon inspection she found a small note. Chloe chastised herself as she unfolded the paper; still in shock she didn't notice this sooner. Before even starting to read she checked to see who it was from. No doubt the Soldats but in her world you could never be entirely sure. No one else had any reason to write her and as she found the signature was surprised to find it signed, "M.D."

Who was M.D.? A person, a group? Who could possibly know who she was? The amount of questions piled up faster than she would have liked. Chloe hated questions, especially when she couldn't find an answer.

_Things just keep getting more confusing_ she thought. With a deep breath to calm her nerves she read the note.

"'Seek the temple in the cellar, behind the alter. There you will find your answers.' M.D."

Apparently M.D. knew she would be coming back. Which meant he was either a Soldat, watching her, or most likely, both. The letter was not confusing which gave Chloe no comfort because the questions that surrounded it remained unanswered.

Would M.D. be waiting for her? When did he put the note in her equipment? Why would he tell her where to look?

So many questions and still no answers. In a fit of rage Chloe swiftly took out her assassin's knife and stuck it into the ground. Never before had she felt so lost and this kind of new experience was one she would have preferred to live without.

"Chloe," Altena's sweet voice reminded her, "remember what I told you about controlling you emotions?"

"I'm sorry," a young and still innocent Chloe said meekly, "but I can't hit the target and I've been trying to forever!"

"Now, now, child," Altena placed her hand on Chloe's magenta hair, "practice is key. You are doing so very well you shouldn't be angry. Think of the joy you will be able to share with the other child when you show her what you can do."

Chloe smiled as Altena stroked her hair and embraced her. She smelled like the vineyards and of wine, like home. Something she would never forget.

The tears had stopped flowing from her eyes as she uncrumpled the note in her hands. Her emotions had gotten the upper hand again but just this time she would not punish herself for it.

The breeze that blew from the Manor brought with it the smell of the vineyards washing Chloe in nostalgia. With a sigh she took one last look down into the field, burning its image into her mind.

With new strength she got to her feet and walked proudly into the valley that time forgot.

All Chloe's hopes of Altena being alive were eliminated as she walked through the rows of grapes. There had been a battle, she was sure of it. Some of the plants had their branches broken and there were bullet shells littered on the dirt. Even though the vineyards were empty the stench of death filled her nostrils and made her pick up her pace.

Keeping her body tense Chloe prepared for anything. There still may be Soldats around. Smiling she felt pity for anyone who would cross her today; they would just have to be punished.

As the setting sun half hid its face in the mountains the brilliant fire light reflected into Chloe's eyes turning them red. Chilling drafts blew in from the north making her skin crawl. The anticipation was growing and her eyes became slits as a fool attempted to ambush her from the side.

Quickly he fired three rounds at the place she had been but the steel hit only air. The wind picked up now, blowing fiercely masking any sound Chloe could have been making. With one step backwards, his intent on running away the man felt the sharp blade of death enter into the base of his neck. Chloe knew he had died immediately but she let gravity carry her down, knife still in hand, still in the fool's back.

His body made no sound as it hit dirt. Chloe's ears were pounding with her heart beat and filled with her own staggered breathing. "Just a pawn," she muttered and placed a hand to her face, "that was unnecessary."

Heavy footfalls alerted her that reinforcements had arrived. She blinked. "That was quick," Chloe whispered to herself while quickly crouching and hurrying away from the barrage of bullets that obliterated the ground her had just left.

"Maintain your positions," one man called out loudly. Quickly he was silenced as Chloe removed his windpipe with amazing speed. Eyes bulging the eight men who remained standing watched with agape mouths as Chloe glared at them, her prey landing on his face.

"Oh shit," was the collective response before each man started to fire at empty air. Their organizational skills had fallen and pandemonium was their heart beat. As soon as one man groaned his last breath, any remaining gun quickly littered his body in case the red-eyed assassin was behind him.

Ten men, two minutes. Chloe breathed heavily as she removed her blade from the last pawn's neck. "Fear," she quoted, "you will only give your opponent the advantage." These hit men were amateur, nothing to worry over. Nevertheless she kept tense; if anyone remained they knew she was here.

Purple sky now stretched above Chloe's head, star light twinkling down on her. The night was much preferred over the day and her breathing slowed. With the skills of a professional Chloe's ears listened for any unusual sounds. Nothing alerted her and she made her way into the chapel. Torches were lit inside, only on the columns that led directly to the alter. Some one was playing with her.

Silence surrounded Chloe, she felt no presence. Hesitantly the young assassin made her way to the alter. The skin on her body tingled as she stepped around the back and gazed into the black hole behind the pulpit. Breathing with heavy anticipation, eager to learn the truth, Chloe descended into the pit, eyes narrowed.

Her footsteps echoed loudly in the stone chamber while she took each step delicately. Someone was following her now; their aura was noticed just as Chloe had begun her descent.

Light danced in front of her, torches were lit down here as well. They knew she was coming, Chloe knew she was trapped. Still she did not fear. A malicious grin formed upon her face, someone was just going to have to die.

Whoever was following her was keeping their distance, remaining at the entrance to the hole; blocking her exit. For a moment she stood still in shock. The grand image of Noir was superimposed upon two enormous doors of marble, their shadows danced in the light of the burning torches.

The glorious image stole her thoughts and beckoned her forward. Chloe placed a hand on the right maiden and jumped as the door opened to her touch. It was a small opening but she had no problem fitting her thin frame through it. Chloe gasped, the room she had stepped into was beyond words.

No torches burned here only a fear inspiring glow that emanated from the platform at the back. The while marble walls radiated brilliant light and embraced Chloe with their luminosity. She sighed in content.

This was where she was to become the true Noir. With the eagerness of a child she ran to the platform. Altena had never kept secrets from her, bit this was one Chloe could forgive. "Altena!" she called, "I'm here, I'm ready, where are you?"

All hope had returned to her, if Altena was dead this place would not feel so alive. Warmth filled her body causing her to shiver and giggle.

Her laughter echoed eerily and was followed by a sudden gasp as Chloe peered into the hellfire pit. Grabbing her shoulder and trembling with shock the very image of death in this pit was enough to make her think twice.

A gunshot. Chloe spun on her toes and was greeted by an image of the Corsican and the other child. The blonde wide-eyed in surprised as her partner fell to her knees, successfully stopping a bullet meant for her.

A familiar voice spoke, "If you do not kill me, then you will never become Noir."

Chloe turned again and looked into the empty eyes of Altena. Her face was different now, evil. No longer warm and smiling, but cold and maniac. Chloe's throat tightened as the body of her other half flew through her and into Altena, sending them both falling into the pit.

"No!" Chloe screamed, but it was over. She was alone in the room. White light continued to shine upon her, but no longer was it embracing. Altena was dead, that was the truth. It was her beloved that had destroyed them both. She made a soft thud as her knees fell to the ground. Eyes into the hellfire Chloe considered her options. End it all now and join Altena, or seek revenge.

He eyes filled with tears. Loneliness poisoned her heart and deep down something changed within Chloe's soul. With a new determination she tore her eyes away from the pit. Taking one step she turned and ran directly into a man she never knew was there.

"You're getting sloppy young one," he said warmly. The first thing Chloe noticed about him were his eyes, they were deep brown almost pools of black. He had wavy blonde hair and a pale complexion. Business from head to toe, this stranger, nothing about him was unnecessary.

His demeanor was polite and he quickly added, "I am unarmed," as Chloe reached for a blade.

"What do you want?" she asked coldly determined not to show weakness.

"I have an offer, something you may be interested in."

"You have nothing then."

The smile never left his face and it was beginning to get on Chloe's nerves.

"You will no doubt be interested to hear the one named Kirika is still alive."

"I know this," she replied after a moment. True Chloe had thought the second child had died along with Altena but then she remembered the conversation at the hospital.

"Don't you want revenge?" he asked, the smile faltering a bit.

"I don't need your help for that!" Chloe shot at him, "Step aside I am leaving."

The blonde man stood firm, "You have not been eating well, and if word gets out the soldats will be all over you."

"Then they will all die."

"I can keep you hidden from their eyes!"

"I can take care of myself!" Chloe was letting her voice become laced with anger.

"Look at you! You're dying of hunger and you have no idea how to live without Altena!"

The man's face bent ninety degree as his body bent over from the force of Chloe's fist. Fire burned in her eyes and her breath was ragged.

"Never tell me what I can and cannot do," she spat.

"Then at least stay at my place tonight, no strings attached. You need some nutrition and sleep."

Something inside Chloe had changed. He was lying, his eyes told her everything, but he was right in a way. She would need her strength to defeat the Corsican and her love. For tonight she would accept.

"Very well, but if I am not free to leave, you will be the first to die."

That smile of his, it made her sick. It told her he had won, that for now he was in control. Like it or not Chloe had no choice, she was trapped, tired, and emotionally drained. Altena was dead; there was no one left, only revenge.

"My name is Martin Deamos," he held a hand out, "please come with me."

He winced as Chloe stopped her dagger on his palm, a pinprick of blood dropping to the floor.

"Remember our deal," she said.

With a nod he turned around. His footsteps rang into Chloe's ears while she followed a few paces behind. She was alone now, following a stranger she didn't trust and aware that the whole world was against her.

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Before any of you tell me I'm OOC on Chloe just consider her precidiment, and the fact I used a certain line twice. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. F.N.


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